The First World War Term List Essential Themes: What were the causes of World War I? What is Total War? How did Total War affect the battlefield and home front? What were the lasting impacts of total war? How did it reshape the world politically, economically and socially? To what extent did the Peace of Paris resolve the issues that caused and emerged during the course of the war?
Terms: Archduke Franz-Ferdinand-On June 28, 1914, a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Austrian archduke and heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo, Bosnia. While Ferdinand was sitting in the open backseat of a car-it was a beautiful sunny day- a 19 year-old youth stepped out into the street and fired several shots. Before the archduke himself expired, after several times dismissing his wound as “nothing,” his wife, Sophie had already died from a bullet in the stomach. Black Hand- A nationalistic society in Serbia, also known as Unity or Death, which specialized in encouraging ethnic Serbs in areas such as Bosnia to work for unification with Serbia. It helped smuggle men, guns, and propaganda to sympathetic individuals still outside Serbian borders. Led by the chief of intelligence of the Serbian army, the Black Hand organized Princip’s bloody deed (assassination of the archduke). Kaiser Wilhelm II- In 1904 Great Britain and France had concluded the Entente Cordiale, an understanding concerning their overseas spheres of influence. As part of the agreement, Great Britain recognized France’s desire to control Morocco. Germany disliked the Entente and thought that a stiff challenge to the French position in Morocco might split it apart. In 1905 Kaiser Wilhelm II landed at Tangier and recognized the sultan of Morocco as a ruler independent of French control. Wilhelm also demanded an international conference, which assembled in 1906, to discuss the situation. Meanwhile, the British had become so alarmed at German belligerence over Morocco, as well as at the continuing German naval buildup, that they moved much closer to France. Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (Italy was only a defensive alliance and never came through). Triple Entente- France, Britain, Russia “Blank check”-In early July, Germany granted almost unconditional backing-a “blank check”- to her ally, and Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia on July 23. Austro-Hungarian ultimatum- Austria demanded an end to anti-Austrian organizations and propaganda, the removal of officers and officials accused by Austria of being hostile, Austrian particicpatioin in the investigation of the assassination plot, and the suppression of subversive movements direct against Austria-Hungary. Ther Serbian government was given 48 hours to reply. Schlieffen Plan- Germany’s Schlieffen Plan, which the French and ?Russian generals knew in broad outline, was a key factor in the peace options and war plans of several nations in the plan, the German general staff had assumed that in a two-fron war with France and Russia, Germany could not defeat both opponents simultaneously. Germany had therefore decided to knock out France first by an invasion through Belgium, while holding of the slowly mobilizing Russians,. After defeating France, Germany would then concentrate its forces in the east and crush the Russians. For this plan to work, the German military could not give the Russians a significant head start in mobilizing their forces. Russia, on the other hand, reacting in part to strong French pressure, had to do just what Germany hoped it could not do-divert German troops to the Russian front before France could be defeated. Other nations had their own military plans that demanded lead time for mobilization and deployment of troops. Battle of Marne- Beginning on September 5 at the Marne River, France and Britain threw their last reserves, some of them rshed by taxicabs through Paris, into a series of counterattacks. Although the counterattacks made only a limited penetration, the Germans decided to pull back northeastward to the Aisne River. The Schlieffen Plan had failed. Battle of Tannenberg-Meanwhiloe, German forces already in East Prussia recovered quickly. Maneuvering their outnumbered forces brilliantly, Gernal Paul von Hindenburg and his chief of staff Erich von Ludendorff, annihilated on Russian army at Tannenber and routed the other at the Masurian Lakes. Masurian Lakes- Meanwhiloe, German forces already in East Prussia recovered quickly. Maneuvering their outnumbered forces brilliantly, Gernal Paul von Hindenburg and his chief of staff Erich von Ludendorff, annihilated on Russian army at Tannenber and routed the other at the Masurian Lakes. War of attrition- As the stalemate continued into 1915 and 1916, the struggle evolved into a war of attrition. With the front lines dominated by the trenches, machine guns, and powerful artillery, it had become increasingly clear that achieving a breakthrough of the enemy position was impossible. Nevertheless, both sides tried, launching huge offensives that went nowhere but generated massive casualties. Even if an attack did reach and penetrate the enemy position, the attacker then met a second line of trenches, and often a third. No one had ever seen a war like this. In 1915 alone, there were 612,000 German casualties, and over 1,500,000 Allied. Trench warfare- Armies begin using trenches as a defense. Being in trenches is harder to defeat because they are underground and cannot get destroyed immediately. Therefore the plan was to shoot shells at the enemy for days and then charge the enemy. 21 Demands- Japan also took advantage of the war to advance its imperialist designs on China. On January 18, 1915, the Japanese presented to the Chinese government the Twenty-One Demands, which would have turned china into Japan’s political and economic protectorate. In effect, Japan insisted on virtually direct control over Manchuria, eastern Inner Mongolia, and the Shantung Peninsular and demanded a monopoly of iron ore and coal mining in the Yantze valley. Japan also “requested” the right to build railroads in the southern China and to share control over Chinese police units and arsenals. China capitulated on nearly all points on May 15, 1915. T.E. Lawrence- colonel who led Britain to help the Arabs overthrow the Ottoman Empire. Known as a "romantic" hero, because after he led these attacks, the Middle East was under control of the Allies. Total war- Given these enormous losses, each government had to bomilize all the resources of its nation to win the war. In the process, the difference between the civilian population and the military forces became less distinct. Governments became more authoritarian, increasing their control over the economic, social, political, and cultural lives of their peoples. This process has been referred to by many historians as “total war.” Blockade- Britain and Germany both attempted to cut off supplies to each other in order to win the war of attrition. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Lusitania- The climax came on May 7, 1915, when a U-boat sank the British passenger liner Lusitania, with the loss of 1,198 lives, including 128 Americans. The Germans claimed, possibly correctly, that the ship was carrying munitions and soldiers, and there is some evidence that the vessel was armed as well. Battle of Jutland- With the submarine campaign hampered, the German surface fleet steamed out in an attempt to break the blockade at the Battle of Jutland on May 31-Jun 1, 1916. It was the greatest engagement of suface fleets in history, a confused melee in the rain and fog in which both sides dealt out, and suffered, enormous punishment. In the end, however, it was the vastly outnumbered German High Seas Fleet that fled back to its ports. They Royal Navy had triumphed. David Lloyd George-The men who planned the centralization of the home fron now became the pivotal figures of the war. Some were technicians, such as Walter Rathenau in Germany and Bernard Baruch in the United States; others were political leaders, such as David Lloyd Gerorge in Great Britain and Georges Clemenceau in France. Georges Clemenceau- The men who planned the centralization of the home fron now became the pivotal figures of the war. Some were technicians, such as Walter Rathenau in Germany and Bernard Baruch in the United States; others were political leaders, such as David Lloyd Gerorge in Great Britain and Georges Clemenceau in France. US Declaration of War- On February 1, 1917, the restarting of unrestricted submarine warfare marked the beginning of the final phase of the war. For two months the submarine campaign was spectacularly effective, and by April the British found themselves without reserves of industrial raw materials and with only six week’s supply of food. Meanwhile, on April 6, the United States declared war on Germany. The new submarine campaign not only cost U.S. lives, but also, in President Wilson’s eyes, demonstrated a malignant militarism that threatened liberal institutions all over the world. This last point had been brought home to Americans when they discovered that Germany had promised to return the southwestern are of the United States to Mexico if Mexico would attack the United States. Congress supported the president, and Americans entered the war believing they were going “over there” to “make the world safe for democracy.” Bolshevik Revolution- Finally, however, the government of the tsar became the first casualty of the war of attrition. War weariness and privation spurred both civilians and soldiers to take the streets and drive Tsar Nicholas from power in March 1917. The new provisional government attempted to carry on the war but was crippled by desertion at the fron and political dissension at home. In November 1917 the Bolsheviks toppled the government seized power, and immediately began negotiations for peace. On March 3, 1918, at Brest-Litovsk, Russia signed a humiliating peace treaty with Germany and dropped out of the war. Woodrow Wilson- Feverish diplomatic maneuverings punctuated late September and October 1918. Wilson, convinced that demands of unconditional surrender would prolong the war, had brought forth his peace plan, the Fourteen Points, in January 1918. The proposal contained three broad goals. The first goal was to prevent future wars by eliminating practices that had helped to precipitate the current war: trade barriers, interference with freedom of the seas, secret diplomacy, colonial tensions, and arms races. The second goal, aimed at settling particular problems in Europe, was a series of specific proposals concerning territorial integrity, national boundaries, and ethnic nationalism. To Wilson, the third goal was the most important: a League of Nations to preserve peace in the future. In addition to the Fourteen Points, Wilson had another condition for peace-the end of authoritarian government in Germany. He did not call for harsh punishment of the Central Powers. The other Allies, which had suffered much more than the United States, were not particularly happy with Wilson’s leniency toward Germany, but they eventually agreed, with some reservations. Fourteen Points- Feverish diplomatic maneuverings punctuated late September and October 1918. Wilson, convinced that demands of unconditional surrender would prolong the war, had brought forth his peace plan, the Fourteen Points, in January 1918. The proposal contained three broad goals. The first goal was to prevent future wars by eliminating practices that had helped to precipitate the current war: trade barriers, interference with freedom of the seas, secret diplomacy, colonial tensions, and arms races. The second goal, aimed at settling particular problems in Europe, was a series of specific proposals concerning territorial integrity, national boundaries, and ethnic nationalism. To Wilson, the third goal was the most important: a League of Nations to preserve peace in the future. In addition to the Fourteen Points, Wilson had another condition for peace-the end of authoritarian government in Germany. He did not call for harsh punishment of the Central Powers. The other Allies, which had suffered much more than the United States, were not particularly happy with Wilson’s leniency toward Germany, but they eventually agreed, with some reservations. League of Nations- To Wilson, the third goal was the most important: a League of Nations to preserve peace in the future. National self-determination - Armistice- A cease-fire. Paris Peace Conference- conference held by the major powers and victors of WWI, (the Allied powers) on how to deal with the world after the war--consequences to the Central powers, etc. Conference was held to make the Treaty of Versailles. Treaty of Versailles “war guilt” clause- makes Germany accept that the war is their fault, making Germany pay reparations. reparations-the money Germany has to pay to the countries that were destroyed during the war, in order to help them rebuild as nations. Cordon Sanitare- The "quarantine zone" in Poland and Romania to keep out communism from Russia.
Essential Themes: What were the causes of World War I?
What is Total War?
How did Total War affect the battlefield and home front?
What were the lasting impacts of total war? How did it reshape the world politically, economically and socially?
To what extent did the Peace of Paris resolve the issues that caused and emerged during the course of the war?
Terms: Archduke Franz-Ferdinand-On June 28, 1914, a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Austrian archduke and heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo, Bosnia. While Ferdinand was sitting in the open backseat of a car-it was a beautiful sunny day- a 19 year-old youth stepped out into the street and fired several shots. Before the archduke himself expired, after several times dismissing his wound as “nothing,” his wife, Sophie had already died from a bullet in the stomach.
Black Hand- A nationalistic society in Serbia, also known as Unity or Death, which specialized in encouraging ethnic Serbs in areas such as Bosnia to work for unification with Serbia. It helped smuggle men, guns, and propaganda to sympathetic individuals still outside Serbian borders. Led by the chief of intelligence of the Serbian army, the Black Hand organized Princip’s bloody deed (assassination of the archduke).
Kaiser Wilhelm II- In 1904 Great Britain and France had concluded the Entente Cordiale, an understanding concerning their overseas spheres of influence. As part of the agreement, Great Britain recognized France’s desire to control Morocco. Germany disliked the Entente and thought that a stiff challenge to the French position in Morocco might split it apart. In 1905 Kaiser Wilhelm II landed at Tangier and recognized the sultan of Morocco as a ruler independent of French control. Wilhelm also demanded an international conference, which assembled in 1906, to discuss the situation. Meanwhile, the British had become so alarmed at German belligerence over Morocco, as well as at the continuing German naval buildup, that they moved much closer to France.
Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (Italy was only a defensive alliance and never came through).
Triple Entente- France, Britain, Russia
“Blank check”-In early July, Germany granted almost unconditional backing-a “blank check”- to her ally, and Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia on July 23.
Austro-Hungarian ultimatum- Austria demanded an end to anti-Austrian organizations and propaganda, the removal of officers and officials accused by Austria of being hostile, Austrian particicpatioin in the investigation of the assassination plot, and the suppression of subversive movements direct against Austria-Hungary. Ther Serbian government was given 48 hours to reply.
Schlieffen Plan- Germany’s Schlieffen Plan, which the French and ?Russian generals knew in broad outline, was a key factor in the peace options and war plans of several nations in the plan, the German general staff had assumed that in a two-fron war with France and Russia, Germany could not defeat both opponents simultaneously. Germany had therefore decided to knock out France first by an invasion through Belgium, while holding of the slowly mobilizing Russians,. After defeating France, Germany would then concentrate its forces in the east and crush the Russians. For this plan to work, the German military could not give the Russians a significant head start in mobilizing their forces. Russia, on the other hand, reacting in part to strong French pressure, had to do just what Germany hoped it could not do-divert German troops to the Russian front before France could be defeated. Other nations had their own military plans that demanded lead time for mobilization and deployment of troops.
Battle of Marne- Beginning on September 5 at the Marne River, France and Britain threw their last reserves, some of them rshed by taxicabs through Paris, into a series of counterattacks. Although the counterattacks made only a limited penetration, the Germans decided to pull back northeastward to the Aisne River. The Schlieffen Plan had failed.
Battle of Tannenberg-Meanwhiloe, German forces already in East Prussia recovered quickly. Maneuvering their outnumbered forces brilliantly, Gernal Paul von Hindenburg and his chief of staff Erich von Ludendorff, annihilated on Russian army at Tannenber and routed the other at the Masurian Lakes.
Masurian Lakes- Meanwhiloe, German forces already in East Prussia recovered quickly. Maneuvering their outnumbered forces brilliantly, Gernal Paul von Hindenburg and his chief of staff Erich von Ludendorff, annihilated on Russian army at Tannenber and routed the other at the Masurian Lakes.
War of attrition- As the stalemate continued into 1915 and 1916, the struggle evolved into a war of attrition. With the front lines dominated by the trenches, machine guns, and powerful artillery, it had become increasingly clear that achieving a breakthrough of the enemy position was impossible. Nevertheless, both sides tried, launching huge offensives that went nowhere but generated massive casualties. Even if an attack did reach and penetrate the enemy position, the attacker then met a second line of trenches, and often a third. No one had ever seen a war like this. In 1915 alone, there were 612,000 German casualties, and over 1,500,000 Allied.
Trench warfare- Armies begin using trenches as a defense. Being in trenches is harder to defeat because they are underground and cannot get destroyed immediately. Therefore the plan was to shoot shells at the enemy for days and then charge the enemy.
21 Demands- Japan also took advantage of the war to advance its imperialist designs on China. On January 18, 1915, the Japanese presented to the Chinese government the Twenty-One Demands, which would have turned china into Japan’s political and economic protectorate. In effect, Japan insisted on virtually direct control over Manchuria, eastern Inner Mongolia, and the Shantung Peninsular and demanded a monopoly of iron ore and coal mining in the Yantze valley. Japan also “requested” the right to build railroads in the southern China and to share control over Chinese police units and arsenals. China capitulated on nearly all points on May 15, 1915.
T.E. Lawrence- colonel who led Britain to help the Arabs overthrow the Ottoman Empire. Known as a "romantic" hero, because after he led these attacks, the Middle East was under control of the Allies.
Total war- Given these enormous losses, each government had to bomilize all the resources of its nation to win the war. In the process, the difference between the civilian population and the military forces became less distinct. Governments became more authoritarian, increasing their control over the economic, social, political, and cultural lives of their peoples. This process has been referred to by many historians as “total war.”
Blockade- Britain and Germany both attempted to cut off supplies to each other in order to win the war of attrition.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Lusitania- The climax came on May 7, 1915, when a U-boat sank the British passenger liner Lusitania, with the loss of 1,198 lives, including 128 Americans. The Germans claimed, possibly correctly, that the ship was carrying munitions and soldiers, and there is some evidence that the vessel was armed as well.
Battle of Jutland- With the submarine campaign hampered, the German surface fleet steamed out in an attempt to break the blockade at the Battle of Jutland on May 31-Jun 1, 1916. It was the greatest engagement of suface fleets in history, a confused melee in the rain and fog in which both sides dealt out, and suffered, enormous punishment. In the end, however, it was the vastly outnumbered German High Seas Fleet that fled back to its ports. They Royal Navy had triumphed.
David Lloyd George-The men who planned the centralization of the home fron now became the pivotal figures of the war. Some were technicians, such as Walter Rathenau in Germany and Bernard Baruch in the United States; others were political leaders, such as David Lloyd Gerorge in Great Britain and Georges Clemenceau in France.
Georges Clemenceau- The men who planned the centralization of the home fron now became the pivotal figures of the war. Some were technicians, such as Walter Rathenau in Germany and Bernard Baruch in the United States; others were political leaders, such as David Lloyd Gerorge in Great Britain and Georges Clemenceau in France.
US Declaration of War- On February 1, 1917, the restarting of unrestricted submarine warfare marked the beginning of the final phase of the war. For two months the submarine campaign was spectacularly effective, and by April the British found themselves without reserves of industrial raw materials and with only six week’s supply of food. Meanwhile, on April 6, the United States declared war on Germany. The new submarine campaign not only cost U.S. lives, but also, in President Wilson’s eyes, demonstrated a malignant militarism that threatened liberal institutions all over the world. This last point had been brought home to Americans when they discovered that Germany had promised to return the southwestern are of the United States to Mexico if Mexico would attack the United States. Congress supported the president, and Americans entered the war believing they were going “over there” to “make the world safe for democracy.”
Bolshevik Revolution- Finally, however, the government of the tsar became the first casualty of the war of attrition. War weariness and privation spurred both civilians and soldiers to take the streets and drive Tsar Nicholas from power in March 1917. The new provisional government attempted to carry on the war but was crippled by desertion at the fron and political dissension at home. In November 1917 the Bolsheviks toppled the government seized power, and immediately began negotiations for peace. On March 3, 1918, at Brest-Litovsk, Russia signed a humiliating peace treaty with Germany and dropped out of the war.
Woodrow Wilson- Feverish diplomatic maneuverings punctuated late September and October 1918. Wilson, convinced that demands of unconditional surrender would prolong the war, had brought forth his peace plan, the Fourteen Points, in January 1918. The proposal contained three broad goals. The first goal was to prevent future wars by eliminating practices that had helped to precipitate the current war: trade barriers, interference with freedom of the seas, secret diplomacy, colonial tensions, and arms races. The second goal, aimed at settling particular problems in Europe, was a series of specific proposals concerning territorial integrity, national boundaries, and ethnic nationalism. To Wilson, the third goal was the most important: a League of Nations to preserve peace in the future. In addition to the Fourteen Points, Wilson had another condition for peace-the end of authoritarian government in Germany. He did not call for harsh punishment of the Central Powers. The other Allies, which had suffered much more than the United States, were not particularly happy with Wilson’s leniency toward Germany, but they eventually agreed, with some reservations.
Fourteen Points- Feverish diplomatic maneuverings punctuated late September and October 1918. Wilson, convinced that demands of unconditional surrender would prolong the war, had brought forth his peace plan, the Fourteen Points, in January 1918. The proposal contained three broad goals. The first goal was to prevent future wars by eliminating practices that had helped to precipitate the current war: trade barriers, interference with freedom of the seas, secret diplomacy, colonial tensions, and arms races. The second goal, aimed at settling particular problems in Europe, was a series of specific proposals concerning territorial integrity, national boundaries, and ethnic nationalism. To Wilson, the third goal was the most important: a League of Nations to preserve peace in the future. In addition to the Fourteen Points, Wilson had another condition for peace-the end of authoritarian government in Germany. He did not call for harsh punishment of the Central Powers. The other Allies, which had suffered much more than the United States, were not particularly happy with Wilson’s leniency toward Germany, but they eventually agreed, with some reservations.
League of Nations- To Wilson, the third goal was the most important: a League of Nations to preserve peace in the future.
National self-determination -
Armistice- A cease-fire.
Paris Peace Conference- conference held by the major powers and victors of WWI, (the Allied powers) on how to deal with the world after the war--consequences to the Central powers, etc. Conference was held to make the Treaty of Versailles.
Treaty of Versailles
“war guilt” clause- makes Germany accept that the war is their fault, making Germany pay reparations.
reparations-the money Germany has to pay to the countries that were destroyed during the war, in order to help them rebuild as nations.
Cordon Sanitare- The "quarantine zone" in Poland and Romania to keep out communism from Russia.